Bank Job
by Dyce
Summary: A teaparty, a card game, a bank robbery and the last appearance of the Blue Hands. River and Jayne's relationship begins to take shape. Covers an alternate version of 'Serenity: Those Left Behind'. 3rd in the Horseshoe Nail series.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: None of the characters, objects or situations named herein belong to me. Firefly is the property of Joss Whedon. I strongly encourage anyone who enjoys fanfiction to purchase and read/view/listen to/imbibe/eat the source material, as applicable. See below. **

**A/N: Some dialogue borrowed from 'Serenity: Those Left Behind', the trade-paperback that covers the time between 'Objects in Space' and the Big Damn Movie. Everything during and after the bank job is based on said TPB, and will make more sense for those who have read it. If you haven't read it - shame! Go give of your money unto the Master! The story will still be here when you get back! **

* * *

**Bank Job **

**By Dyce**

"Kaylee? Wake up, Kaylee."

Kaylee's eyes popped open, to find River's face inches from hers. River looked more than a little freaked... more than a little blurry, too, bein' so close. "River, what is it? What's wrong? It's... what time is it?"

River backed up enough for Kaylee to sit up. She sat on the very edge of Kaylee's bunk. For some reason, she had her blanket clutched in her arms. "Simon's all right," she said, even as Kaylee wondered if it was something to do with Simon, and if he was okay. "But he is an inappropriate ear."

"Oh... kay." Kaylee rubbed her eyes. "What's up, sweetie? Did you have a bad dream? Are you still feelin' poorly?"

"Discomfort flows in streams of red and black." River stared anxiously at Kaylee.

"It... I'm sorry, sweetie, I didn't get that." Kaylee yawned. She wouldn't usually be up for at least another hour, and she was an early riser. "Could you try it again?"

Jayne - he was really tryin', bless his secretly tender heart - had been the one to discover that asking River to try saying it again got her less tangled up than asking her to explain. River nodded, and scrunched up her face in thought. "I am a fountain of life."

"Still a little lost," Kaylee admitted after a moment of sleepy thought. "Could you maybe -"

River rolled her eyes as if Kaylee was being awful stupid, and held out her blanket, shaking it out. Kaylee was still puzzled for a minute, and then she saw the darker stains on the brown blanket. "Oh! Oh, sweetie, you got your flow!" She frowned. "Awful late to be starting, though..."

"Started and stopped," River explained, bundling up her blanket again. "No distracting pains or desires wanted in the Academy's best. Medicines to make childhood return, but they've worn off now."

Kaylee frowned. Every time she thought there wasn't no further depth those Academy bastards could sink to, she found a new one. Wasn't all the rest of what they'd done to River bad enough, they had to try'n stop something as natural as becoming a woman? "Oh, River, that's just awful. I'm so glad it's getting better now."

"Ambivalent," River said, staring at the blanket with a sort of confused expression. "Complications arise, and I already have so many."

"It's a good thing, even if it is complicatin'," Kaylee said firmly, leaning over to give her a hug. "And maybe having a natural cycle'll help."

"It might." River seemed to like that idea, snuggling up against Kaylee. "And having hormones naturally instead of artificially regulated."

"Yeah." Kaylee had gotten a wee bit lost there, but it sounded good. "And you didn't want to tell Simon, huh?"

"He's a _boy_." River hid her face in Kaylee's shoulder. "Will you tell him?"

"Well sure!" Kaylee beamed, stroking River's hair. It was so rare that River acted like an ordinary girl, and getting embarrassed about telling your brother about your cycles certainly was normal. "I'll just let him know tactful-like and you won't have to talk to him about it at all."

"I need... things," River said, her voice decidedly muffled by Kaylee's nightshirt.

"I know, sweetie. I gotcha covered. And... Hey, we should do something special, just us girls." When Kaylee had first gotten her flow, she and her Momma had had a special day to celebrate Kaylee growing up. Even if this was kind of a second first, Kaylee figured as it was definitely worth recognition, especially given as how hard it was for River to feel normal. "You and me and 'Nara and Zoe. Special girl time, maybe in 'Nara's shuttle. I bet she'd put together a real nice tea party or something for you."

"Really?" River was still muffling herself in Kaylee's shoulder, but she'd relaxed a bit now. "But there'll be questions."

"Oh, the boys don't have to know. We'll just say we're going to have a girl's afternoon, they don't gotta know why." Kaylee bounced a little. "It'll be fun! I'm gonna go ask her as soon as we've got you all set up."

* * *

River couldn't eat her breakfast. She sat in front of it, poked it with her chopsticks, but her stomach was all knotted up. She felt exposed and nervous - and there was a dull pain in her abdomen which Kaylee said was cramping and to be expected.

"River? You feeling okay?" Wash sat down opposite her, making a crumpled, inquiring face. "Did your breakfast make you angry today?"

"No." She couldn't look him in the eyes. He would be sincerely happy for her, if he knew, and it would be terribly embarrassing. "My stomach hurts."

"That's never a good thing." He smiled kindly at her. Wash was always kind. Except sometimes to Mal, who was the only person Wash ever showed his crest to. "How about some nice hot tea?"

"Tea is acceptable." She pulled her knees up under her chin. That helped the ache a little. "Thank you."

"Hey, no problem. I'm always glad to be useful. It's kind of my life's mission, being useful." He grinned at her, and she managed a lopsided smile in return. "But don't go around telling people that. I like to pretend that my life's mission is to make as many witty remarks as is humanly possible. Not only are the witty remarks enjoyable, but it keeps people appreciative of my helpfulness because they don't realize that I'm driven to it by my secret calling."

Wash talked almost as oddly as River did sometimes. She liked it. It made her feel less confused. "I won't tell. Won't endanger the secrecy of your mission."

"Well, good." He set the cup in front of her, smiling again. "There. Drink that, and maybe you'll feel better."

She sipped her tea while he ate, and was almost calm when Jayne ambled into the galley, yawning. Her stomach promptly tied itself into a whole new series of knots - she thought one of them might be a bowline.

She liked Jayne. He was kind, in his gruff, thoughtless way. He taught her things. She could have drawn them directly from his thoughts, of course, but they were easier to hold onto if Jayne put them into short, clear words that lay like strings of stones in the chaos of her thoughts, linked together and hard to lose. But he was absolutely the last person she wanted to see right now. If he found out about _that_, she would turn herself inside out with embarrassment and her insides would fall off and be lost.

"Morning." He poured himself a cup of cheap coffee-substitute and slouched at one end of the table, staring at the cup with his eyes unfocused. She reached out cautiously, and was relieved to find no sign that he'd noticed anything unusual about her. Until the coffee-substitute started to kick in, and he noticed the full bowl in front of her. "Ain't eating?"

"She has a tummy-ache," Wash said helpfully. "Which is why the tea."

River pushed her bowl over to Jayne. "You can have it."

"You sure?" She nodded, and he shrugged and dug into the lumpy protein. Jayne was always ready for an effort-free meal, even if someone else had played with it a bit first.

Wash gave River a concerned look. "If you're still feeling bad when you finish your tea, maybe you should go see Simon. I know you're trying to cut back on the medications, but maybe he can do something about your stomach."

River shook her head, letting her hair slide forward to cover her face. She didn't want to have to talk to Simon about this. He had to know about the other things, about the psychosis and the nausea and all the other little gifts the Academy had filled her with, like a Christmas stocking full of coal. He didn't have to ask her about this, or give her a needle for it, or fix it. It was fine. She wasn't broken, not any more, not in that part of her. "Simon can't help."

"Ahhh." Wash nodded. "Well, tea and maybe some rest." His thoughts smelled of understanding and affectionate concern, but he was careful not to show his suspicions to her for fear of embarrassing her. Wash was always kind.

River found herself watching Jayne eat. He ate quickly, and his table-manners would have horrified her mother, but he wasn't messy. He didn't raven, like a wolf. He ate efficiently, wasting neither time nor a single scrap of food. River wondered if it meant anything. Did he eat quickly because he was used to food being snatched away if he took too long over it? Was he so careful not to lose any to spills or drips because he was used to doing without?

It wasn't until he stopped in mid-chew to look at her that she realized she was staring. "Wha'?"

"Nothing." She looked away hastily. "The eye naturally gravitates to whatever object is in motion."

She watched him frown and repeat the words silently, then nod as he worked out what it meant. He shrugged, and went back to his food. Her food.

River had to finish her tea quickly and go away, before she could find herself watching him again.

* * *

"We should be on Persephone by tomorrow afternoon. We dump the cargo, then you and I go see Badger. He has a job for us." Mal sipped his tea. This was shaping up to be a good week. "It's probably not so much legal, but he was making noises about big payoffs in the wave he sent, and you know how much we like the money."

"Mm."

"Zoe, are you listening?"

"We like money, sir. I heard." Zoe shook her head, drawing herself back from whatever place she'd been staring into. "Going to see Badger. Will we take Jayne?"

"If we can restrain him from the drinking and whoring available on Persephone for that long, sure." Mal tilted his head, looking at Zoe thoughtfully. "Your mind is wandering a mite this morning. Something up?"

"No, sir. Well, nothing important." Zoe smiled a small, thoughtful sort of smile. "Won't be around this afternoon. Kaylee's taken it into her head to introduce River to the joys of doing girl stuff. I've been invited to a tea-party in Inara's shuttle."

"A tea-party?" Mal set his cup down, his eyebrows ascending. "Kaylee thinks River needs to learn about tea-parties?"

"Mm." The smile got wider. "I think it's a good idea. Let her do something normal for a change - and Kaylee's all excited about it. Looking forward to it myself."

"You? Really?" Too late Mal realized that that had sounded just a little tactless.

Zoe raised one eyebrow, looking more amused than offended. "I do occasionally get the urge to paint my nails and put my hair up, sir. I wasn't required to hand in my uterus and associated organs when I was issued with my tags and gun."

"Now there's a mental image that'll be with me for a while." Mal shook his head, grinning. "Right. Secret girl time in Inara's shuttle this afternoon. Should I round up the boys and stage some kind of raid?"

Zoe grinned back. "Not if you value your life. I may not be able to kill you with a nail-file, sir, but I'll warrant I could hurt you real bad."

"There's hurting? Do I hear arguing?" Wash peeked into the galley. "Zoe, why do you want to hurt the captain with a nail file, and can I watch?"

"There's going to be a Secret Girl-Stuff Meeting in Inara's shuttle this afternoon," Mal said, before Zoe could open her mouth. "Kaylee's doing. Apparently the pink frilly dress has worn off and she needs to do something girlish again."

"Oh! Special girl time! Well, I'm sure you'll all enjoy it." Wash grinned, taking this excuse (as he did every excuse) to come over and kiss his wife. "I've always wondered what it is girls do during these secret meetings. I have reason to suspect it involves braiding."

"It may do. But I cannot reveal the secret rituals to an unbeliever." Zoe grinned, the wide grin that had only begun appearing after she'd taken up with Wash. Mal had put up with a lot on account of that grin.

"Maybe we should do some guy stuff while you're all locked in the shuttle." Wash grinned back. "I understand that the consumption of alcohol is considered manly. I can drink alcohol. Mal, shall we drink alcohol this afternoon?"

"I could handle a little alcohol." There were days when Mal could almost understand what Zoe saw in Wash. "And after I've had some, I may also be amenable to a game of cards for stakes of some kind, which I have always understood to be a very manly pursuit of an afternoon."

Zoe laughed, a loud honest-to-god laugh that tipped her head back and seemed to warm the air. "If I weren't otherwise committed, I would pay money to see that."

"Well, you can't. It is secret man business. You females may not know of our secret rituals of masculinity." Wash made an exaggeratedly serious face, and even Mal had to chuckle.

"What secret rituals of masculinity?" Jayne leaned in the other door, giving Wash a suspicious look.

"The ladies are going to have a girl-stuff tea-party this afternoon. Kaylee's doing, apparently." Wash grinned. "So I suggested that perhaps those of us who are not girls should engage in manly activities while they're shut up in Inara's shuttle. Drinking and cards seem to be on the agenda, and I do hope you'll be able to attend. I can drink and lose at cards, but I'm not much on the belching. I have a girly belch. I'm counting on you to cover for my deficiency in that area, because as I understand it belching is an essential component of any gathering of manly men."

Jayne grinned. "Usually, yeah. Booze and cards, huh? I'm in."

This was going to be... interesting. "What the hell." Mal grinned, draining his cup. "Sounds like fun."

"It sounds scary, is what it sounds like." Zoe shook her head, still grinning widely. "I'll come up here and check for bodies when we're done braiding each other's hair."

* * *

"Simon?" Kaylee peeked into the infirmary. Inara had been delighted at the idea of having a special tea-party for River, doing fun girl things and all. Zoe had seemed pleased with the idea too, although more for River's sake than because she liked having her hair played with or anything. Now Kaylee just had to have that little talk with Simon.

He was cleaning - he sure spent a lot of time doing that - but he put down the cloth and the spray when she came in, turning to smile that devastatingly sweet, shy smile at her. "Kaylee. Hello."

"Hi." He was so pretty when he just gazed at her like that. If he could just stop screwing it all up when he opened his mouth..."Could I have a word with you 'bout River?"

"Yes, of course." He frowned, looking all fretted all of a sudden. "Is she all right?"

"Sure, she's fine!" Kaylee grinned. Oh, River had been SO cute when she got all embarrassed. "She's just... uh... well, she had this thing that she kinda didn't want to talk to you about, and she asked me to talk to you about it."

His frown turned puzzled. "Why wouldn't she want to talk to me about it? Is she upset about something?"

"Not exactly. It's just... well, sometimes there's things girls like to talk about with other girls." That didn't seem to click, so Kaylee spelled it out for him. "She's just started getting her monthlies again."

"Her mon- Oh. Oh, I see." Simon went brilliant pink. "Er... yes. That's good news. It means her body-chemistry is starting to settle down into something approaching a normal pattern."

Kaylee giggled. That blush was just so cute. "Yeah. I think she's pleased about it, even if she is awful embarrassed. Me and Inara and Zoe are going to give her kind of a little party this afternoon."

Simon's eyebrows rose slowly. "A... party? For a biological function?"

"Sure! It's a real big deal for a girl, Simon. I mean, not that you should make a big deal of it, 'cause she'd just about die of embarrassment, but it's important. Especially for River. There ain't hardly anything for her to celebrate, these days, so I wanted to make this a special thing."

"That's very kind of you. Really." He was doing that smile again, making Kaylee's knees go all weak. "You're probably right that I shouldn't... well, say anything. But I'm grateful to you for doing this."

"Oh, it ain't nothin'." Kaylee beamed at him. "It'll be fun. We'll all do each other's hair and do other secret girl stuff."

"Secret girl stuff, huh?" Simon shook his head, still smiling. "I... actually, I don't think River's ever done secret girl stuff. She never really got along with the other girls when she was young, and our mother wasn't... she didn't like to fuss."

Kaylee was pretty sure what that meant, and she laid a consoling hand on Simon's arm. "Well, don't you worry about it. We'll make sure she has a real nice day."

"Thank you." He covered her hand with his own, his fingers slipping in between hers, and Kaylee was sure that her face was as pink as his. "It... I hate to admit it, it being the Jayne-ape's idea, but keeping her occupied and having other people watch her and teach her things really seems to be helping. She gets so much less upset when her energy is turned outwards instead of brooding over things." He ducked his head, looking embarrassed. "I'm a little inclined to brood myself, so I guess I didn't realize that's what River was doing."

"You do get kinda mopey sometimes," Kaylee said, fighting to resist the urge to just lean in and kiss him. Damnit, she was going to make him at least do that much before pouncing on him. "But she really is doin' better, the last few weeks."

"I know. And I have to stop calling him an ape." Simon grinned ruefully. "River nearly concussed me with a pillow last time she heard me do that. She likes him now. I still don't know why, but she does."

"It's 'cause he likes her. We always like folks as like us." And one day, Simon Tam, you are going to realize just how much you and me like each other and you're going to do something about it.

* * *

Wash sat down and looked at the table. They had cards. They had money to play for - not too much thereof, because nobody wanted to be broke when they got to Persephone, but enough to keep things interesting. They all had alcohol... he, Mal and Simon drinking Kaylee's inter-engine brew, the Shepherd with tea, and Jayne with a bottle of the whiskey-slash-engine-cleaner he bought when he couldn't afford better. "Okay. Jayne, what happens now?"

Everyone looked at Jayne, who blinked. "Why're you askin' me?"

"Well, you do this a lot. The whole manly activity thing." Wash gestured to the table. "How do we start? Do the cards come first, or should we make some sort of disgusting noise to kick things off? Or do the noises come after the drinking?"

Actually, what he'd wanted to make sure that things kicked off in a nice friendly mood by making everyone laugh, which had worked perfectly. Even Jayne was grinning, and that wasn't always easy to do.

"Well, in my experience, you start with the cards and the drinkin'. Noises are improvised when and as they seem appropriate, as are swearin', threats, and the breakin' of stuff." Jayne looked up at the windows. "There'd usually be some shootin' at the ceiling to celebrate a big win, but that probably wouldn't work in here."

"No, definitely not. And there will be no breaking of stuff." Mal grinned, knocking back some of Kaylee's wine. "Swearin', threats, and noises are fine, though. Who's gonna deal first?"

* * *

"Really? A whole day?" Zoe took another of the delicate little biscuits Inara had provided. "When I started, all I got was some tamps and a little manual explaining what was going on. I was convinced for years that it was classified information."

"See, that's why you gotta do something nice." Kaylee gestured widely with her spoon. "If you start off thinkin' it's some kinda bad thing, you won't never think it's good."

"She's right." Inara was brushing River's hair. "A good first experience can make a lifelong difference, in this as in many other things. When a Companion-in-Training first menstruates, there's a ceremony and gifts, and a special meeting with your mentor where you can ask any questions you might have and be reassured. I was ecstatic when started - I felt so special."

"I feel normal," River murmured, her eyes half-closed in contentment.

"For you, sweetie, that _is_ special." Kaylee reached over to pat her knee. "Hey, _do_ you have any questions? I mean, I guess you got a talk or something when you started the first time, but if you got any new ones, we'd be happy to answer 'em."

"Of course we would. And it doesn't have to be right now - if you think of anything else later, you can always ask." Inara drew her fingers gently through River's hair.

"I will." River pushed her eyes open, seeming like she had to make a real effort. "My emotions feel circular. They spin on my axis."

"If by that you mean they're going up and down - and sideways, and upside down sometimes - then that's fairly normal." Inara smiled over River's head at Kaylee. "Most women experience mood-swings at certain times in their cycle - even Kaylee gets a little weepy sometimes, and that's usually not like her at all."

"I mostly get ornery, myself." Zoe grinned. "Not that I usually let it show, but my temper gets powerful short at times."

"I don't have that problem at the moment, but only because I had a long-term contraceptive implant that artificially regulates my hormone production." Inara made a rueful face. "I won't be able to replace it when it wears off, though, not on my current budget. When it does, then you'll find out how ornery _I_ can be!"

Zoe snickered. "Now there's something I'll look forward to. Especially if you don't warn the captain beforehand."

"Warnin' 'em is cheating." Kaylee grinned. "I bet Wash don't need warning."

"Not _now_ he doesn't. It took him a while, but he learned all right."

"What is the difference between love and lust?" Everyone looked at River, whose eyes were open again. "How does one discern the difference between a simple chemical reaction and a true inclination of the heart?"

"That's one of the hardest questions ever asked, and I've never yet found anyone who claimed to have found a definitive answer." Inara sighed, twining River's hair around her fingers. "I'm afraid I can't help you there, sweetie... Companions are discouraged from ever even admitting that romantic love might exist, at least in relation to themselves. We're taught to consider trust and friendship as the highest goal for a relationship."

"Zoe? You're married." Kaylee pulled her knee up under her chin. "How'd you know Wash was special?"

Zoe smiled, and Kaylee sighed happily. She just loved that warm, private smile Zoe got when she thought about Wash. It was so romantic. "Well, I don't know... I don't usually discuss it."

"Please? How else are River and I ever gonna know?" Kaylee batted her eyelashes coaxingly.

"Well, all right." Zoe smiled again. "At first, all I knew was that something about him _bothered_ me. Couldn't for the life of me figure what, but I tried my hardest to talk cap'n out of hiring him."

"Thank goodness Mal's stubborn." Inara chuckled.

"Oh, yeah." Zoe shook her head. "I kept finding myself watching him... to figure out what it was bugged me, I thought at the time, but even when he stopped bothering me I couldn't help myself. And he made it easy... he was always cracking jokes, trying to get me to laugh. He said I was too solemn."

"You are, sometimes." Kaylee grinned. "So, did he like you then?"

"Says he did." Zoe shook her head. "Thing about Wash was... well, I'm a mite intimidatin', if I do say so myself."

"Just a little," Inara murmured.

"Wash was the first man in a long time... or ever, really... didn't seem bothered that I could tie his feet in a knot behind his head if I wanted to. It wasn't that he didn't know, 'cause being too stupid to see danger coming doesn't appeal to me, and it wasn't that he thought he could take me, 'cause he knows damned well he ain't a fighter." Zoe's smile got all soft. "He knew, and he just kinda liked it. There's something powerful in finding someone accepts you just as you are."

"That's so romantic." Kaylee sighed happily.

"I wonder if I'll ever find someone who isn't afraid of me," River said quietly.

"Sure you will," Kaylee said firmly. "Someday, you'll look around and there he'll be." She felt her smile dim a little. "Doesn't look so good for me, though."

"Simon likes you as you are." River smiled a little, tilting her head as Inara started to braid her hair. "You're clear, like water. He sees you smile and knows that you're happy, and when you frown he knows he's screwed up. You're honest. He isn't."

"River, that ain't a nice thing to say!"

"I know what she means." Inara shook her head, twining a red silk ribbon into River's hair. "Simon was raised in the Core, in the aristocracy of wealth. He was trained almost from birth in an elaborate maze of manners and appropriate behaviours that make it almost impossible for anyone to clearly and openly express their feelings. Simon feels things deeply and sincerely, but he has trouble showing those feelings, and he's uncertain of his ability to interpret the actions and emotions of others." She smiled, reaching over to smooth Kaylee's hair lightly. "You let him know just how you feel. He still gets all tangled up trying to show you how _he_ feels, but at least he knows _you're_ sincere."

"Really?" Kaylee hadn't realized how plaintive her voice would sound. "You don't think he'd rather have... well... someone more refined?"

"Simon was terrified of girls at home. He always said the wrong thing and they laughed at him." River's eyes were closed again, but she was smiling fondly. "He does that with you too, but you don't laugh. You let him keep trying. He'll get better."

"Simon is very shy, and very uncertain of his ability to secure genuine affection." Inara gave Kaylee an understanding look. "I doubt he's ever been seriously involved with anyone before. Give him time, sweetie... he's terribly nervous and he really doesn't know how to say what he feels."

"So it ain't me?"

"No, it's just that Simon's a boob."

"River, that's not entirely fair. Simon is doing his best, but he's trying to conduct his first real relationship in a social structure with which he's completely unfamiliar as well as under the burden of a lot of unwarranted self-doubt and fear that he's being selfish for wanting something for himself. It's going to take time for him to find his feet."

"He's a good dancer, but only if someone teaches him the steps." River sighed deeply. "And I can't teach him this dance."

"He'll figure it out. Give him time." Inara spoke to River, but she was looking at Kaylee. "He'll manage to drag his foot out of his mouth eventually."

Kaylee blushed, hugging her knees. "I hope so. I do like him an awful lot."

"Honey, I think everyone on the ship but him knows that." Zoe chuckled. "He's a little slow is all."

Kaylee nodded, feeling more than a bit comforted. As odd as it seemed to her that a brilliant doctor from the Core could be shy around girls, it was much better than thinking it might be _her_ fault. And River should surely know.

"There. You're all finished." Inara turned River to the mirror. Her long hair had been twisted into a high braid that hung over one shoulder, two red silk ribbons twined through it. "The ribbons are for you. I was given a pair just like them on my ritual day."

"Thank you." River stroked them with her fingertips, looking a little dubious. "We have wandered from my question."

"We have, haven't we?" Inara rested her chin on River's head, smiling at her in the mirror. "Well, judging by our shared experience, you'll know love by the way one special young man annoys you more than anyone else in the entire 'verse."

River frowned. "What if he stops annoying me and I start liking him?"

"Then you'll know that it's serious." Inara grinned. "Although he probably won't stop annoying you altogether. He'll still be male... unless it's a girl you find yourself liking, of course."

"Then you'll have a whole other set of things to worry about." Zoe rolled her eyes. "Come here, honey, and let Kaylee have a turn having her hair done. I'll paint your toenails... and don't look so shocked. I do know how." She chuckled. "Never liked doing my fingernails - feels foolish trying to fancy myself up when I do the work I do. But nobody can see through my boots."

River scrambled over, putting her delicate foot in Zoe's hands. "I want purple."

"Let's see what Inara has..." Zoe rummaged through the little bottles, and held up two. "Do you want the light or the dark?"

"Dark."

* * *

The card game had gone a lot better than Jayne had anticipated. Wash got mighty entertaining when both he and his listeners had had a few, and he lost pretty consistently. Jayne liked that in a man. It had been... what was that word River had suggested... insidiously enjoyable. He'd been a touch relieved when it came time to fix dinner. If things had kept going, they might've actually gotten friendly.

"Well, don't you all look a picture. I think I'm underdressed." The captain was smiling as he looked along the table. "Zoe, I think I may have to insist on that seduction Wash was suggesting back when we was getting tortured."

"Try it and die, sir." Zoe grinned. She did look mighty fine, with her curly hair twisted up in some kind of knot, held in place with golden combs.

Kaylee looked pretty too, with her hair in two cute little buns tied with pink ribbon. Jayne saw the doc sneaking glances at her, and blushing when she caught him. The doc had loosened up just a little after a couple of drinks, and had even told a joke. It hadn't been a really good joke or anything, but it had been something.

It was River who kept catching Jayne's eye, though, as he worked his way through the mediocre meal. Her dark hair was braided in some fancy way that went right up the back of her head, and tied up with red ribbons. It made her face look different. Less childish, more like the grown girl she would be if the Alliance hadn't messed with her.

It pissed Jayne off, in some way he couldn't quite pin down. He'd never had much faith in 'fair', being as in his experience there wasn't nothing in the universe that was fair or just, unless someone was strong enough to force it to be. But it wasn't fair that River should be comin' so late to ribbons and girl-talk and other such things that most took for granted. She was seventeen now - one of his sisters had been married at that age, and another walking out regular with the guy she'd eventually married. She should be thinking about boys and picking out names for kids she'd like to have one day, not being chased across the system while she tried to put the broken pieces of her mind back together. Simon should be fretting over his sister getting caught in the back of a skimmer with some boy, not holding her arms while she screamed and tried to claw her face off. It wasn't fair on either of them, and it made Jayne want powerfully to shoot something.

Maybe it was that thought that made her look up suddenly and smile across the table at him, a happy smile that took the haunted look out of her eyes for just a second. Jayne smiled back, then glanced around hastily to make sure nobody had noticed. Girl was making him get all soft. He'd hardly thought about his sisters in years before she'd brought them to his mind - they were good respectable ladies, and he didn't embarrass them by showing his unlawful, uneducated self on their doorsteps.

"The prodigal son is welcomed back with a fatted calf." River spoke up, her voice dreamy. "But he must leave his pride for the pigs to eat before he can return." Jayne tensed, but when he looked up slowly she had her eyes trained on the Shepherd. Even so, he knew she was talking to him. "The myth celebrates humility and surrender. The moral is questionable."

"Scripture isn't a myth, River, and I think you've missed the point of the story." Book had his patient voice on. "The Prodigal Son was greedy and wasteful, and caused his father much grief. When he accepted his wrongdoing, he was forgiven."

"It presupposes that anyone who crosses the will of the father is wrong and will inevitably fail." River frowned down at her plate. "Independent enterprise is discouraged."

"She has a point," Mal said, although Jayne suspected it was mostly just to rile the Preacher. "If the Prodigal Son had made a success of his endeavours, it wouldn't've made nearly such a fine parable on the importance of obedience. But sometimes the Prodigal Sons do just fine, and ain't no forgiveness wanted nor needed." He glanced down the table. "Seems to me Simon here defied his father and threw away his fortune, and unless you think Serenity here is the pigpen he needs rescuin' from, he ain't doin' so bad."

"Simon acted to save another, not merely to please himself." Book smiled on River, who was still frowning at her dinner like it was being rude to her. "Motive is always important."

Jayne frowned, thinking it over as the conversation eddied on around him. River seemed to be saying, in her twisted-up, roundabout way, that going off and leaving his family to be a merc was okay on account of he'd done it 'cause they couldn't afford to feed him no more, not because he didn't care.

He caught her eye a minute later, and she gave him another of those sweet smiles that were gonna break hearts when she was better and could settle on a planet and meet boys again. He returned it, not even noticing that Zoe saw.

* * *

Late that night, River walked barefoot through Serenity, humming along with Serenity's silent song (the percussive clang of steel on steel, the thrum of deep engines and the high counterpoint of life-support, all playing against the faint, persistent tinkle of silver stars and the rich notes of planets and moons.) She lay flat on the walkway for a little while, and then she let herself flow up onto the railing, walking it as easily as the walkway itself, enjoying the faint vibration of steel against the soles of her feet.

"You're gonna fall off there someday."

She swayed and almost fell, surprised by his presence. Jayne could, it seemed, even creep up on her if her attention was elsewhere. "Only if people's voices jump on me without warning." She swiveled, glaring down at him, his face framed between her painted toes.

"Figured you'd hear me coming. You usually do." He shrugged. "Still feelin' off?"

"A little." Her emotions were still confused. She was glad to see Jayne, but she wanted him to go away. His presence was as soothing as ever, but somehow it made her feel unsettled. "Inara fixed my hair."

"I figured." He looked at it critically, then shrugged. "Looks nice, I guess."

River frowned. She knew that, from Jayne, that was a compliment of high order. She was annoyed that he hadn't made a bit more of an effort. "Laziness will get your nose tweaked."

"I ain't lazy. Come down before you break your fool neck." He smelled of concern, spicy and half-smothered in the funk of testosterone.

"Don't have to." She curled her toes around the warming metal.

"If you fall off and die, I ain't cleaning it up." He tried to sound as if he wouldn't care at all, but River could taste his vague, unfocused worry that she would take a crazy fit unexpectedly and fall.

She laughed suddenly. "All right, I'll come down. But if I die it will be your fault."

She wouldn't. She knew even before she stepped out into the air that his arms were extending to catch her. So she was ready for the impact of broad arms against her back and legs, the shock of having her brief flight stopped short just short of the crash.

She wasn't prepared for the second jolt, when she looked up at his scowling face and felt a sudden yearning uncurl somewhere in the area of her left ventricle. She was suddenly fiercely aware of his arms curled around her, and the smell of sweat and gun-oil and cinnamon from his shirt. Distracted by this new awareness, she didn't even realize when his arms opened and he dropped her. His startled curse when he realized he'd actually succeeded in letting go - he never had before - rang in her ears as he dropped fluidly to one knee, catching her again before she could hit the floor. "Gorrammit, girl, pay attention!"

"Chemical reactions are both infinitely predictable and infinitely surprising," she said, bewildered. "I fell like a star and like a star burned. Now I've gone out."

He shook his head, getting up and setting her firmly on her feet. "Well, you've been pretty clear for a while," he said philosophically. "Guess the occasional spell of no sense can't be helped. Next time I won't drop you until your eyes're focusing again."

There would be no next time. Her short flights were fun, but the startling new quality of Jayne was far too worrying. "I should go to bed. Inara says proper rest is important."

He chuckled. "Gettin' yer beauty rest, huh?" He looked at her again, from her braided hair to her painted toes, and shook his head, smiling a little. "Growin' up, finally."

"The process seems inevitable." River frowned. "Some aspects are very disturbing."

"Yeah, I remember." He grinned, and she almost certainly wasn't supposed to pick up the secret memories of embarrassing, thrilling moments like the one in his arms, where hormones raged of their own will and new urges made themselves felt. "Go get your sleep, _lao ren jia_."

"I'm not an old woman." River stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed, and she stamped her foot. "You're very annoying!"

"Yeah, well, I do my best." He tried to look modest, then lost it as she kicked him hard in the shin and turned on her heel, running back to her room as he cursed and laughed behind her.

Curled up with her blanket over her head, River tried to quiet her racing heart. Moments of physical awareness were normal. Actually having one had come as a shock, but it was a well documented physiological reaction and essentially meaningless. Merely an indication of coming into contact with a genetically compatible person of one's preferred gender.

But he could be terribly annoying, and that was cause for concern. Jayne was a most unsuitable focus for the juvenile crushes she knew should occur before more serious attachments. Perhaps if she concentrated she could have one on the captain instead?

It was certainly worth trying. Fortunately, she'd gotten to see him naked that time when Saffron stole his clothes, so she had something to work with.

* * *

_lao ren jia - (respectful) old person, elderly woman _

_xiao gui - (affectionate) little demon _

_dong ma - you understand? _

_wu dong - I understand _

_sheng ben dan - holy idiot _

_yao guai - monster, devil (I have no idea how to do plurals, sorry) _

_ni zi - little girl _

_mei mei - little sister _

_hun dan - bastard_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

They stepped out into the dusty, richly stinkified Persephone afternoon, Jayne twitching a bit in an away sort of direction. "Mal, that it? C'n I go now?"

"Yes, you can go. Go drink and belch and shoot the ceiling."

"Shoot the ceiling?" Zoe asked, as Jayne beamed and rushed off before Mal could change his mind.

"That manly activity thing we had yesterday afternoon was enlightening." Mal grinned. He'd enjoyed it a lot, actually, much to his own surprise. "Jayne introduced us to the way of the common man. He didn't manage to force a burp out of the doctor, but Wash told a couple of dirty jokes and I myself cussed quite creatively. Lost some of its force when I apologized to the Shepherd, after, but it was some good cussin' all the same."

Zoe laughed. "And to think I missed all that just to have my hair braided and paint River's toenails."

"I did notice the toenails. Nice job." Mal smiled. River had been very quiet this morning, and he'd gotten the impression that she was thinking something over very seriously. It had been oddly cute. Oddly cute was pretty much the standard description for River, though. "It was... well, strange though it may seem, it was sort of fun. Wash was very entertaining, Jayne was civil right on through, and Simon told a joke."

"You're not serious. Simon? A joke?" Zoe chuckled.

"Oh, yeah. Not the greatest joke I've ever heard, but pretty good for a first attempt." Mal shook his head, grinning. "There was a dog in it. I'd tell it to you, but Simon might need it again."

"I'll try to hold off until I can hear it from the master." Zoe managed to keep her face almost straight when she said that.

"Oh, it is worth waiting for, let me assure you." Mal did his best to straighten his face out too. "But to get back to business, what do you think of this job Badger has been so gracious as to give us?"

"Don't matter much what I think, sir, given as we've already taken it."

"I wasn't so much asking you whether you think it's a good idea as asking how you think we should be going about it." Mal shrugged. "I know bank-robbery ain't our usual thing, but pickings have been slim of late."

"I think Badger's plan as laid out will work. You, me and Jayne could handle the whole thing, maybe with a diversion."

"I have a brilliant idea for the diversion." Mal grinned. "Brilliant. You'll love it. And I was planning to make our little bank-robbing trio into a foursome..."

* * *

"Mal, I really don't think this is a good idea."

Mal sighed, rubbing his temple. "Simon, we've had this conversation."

"I know, but I didn't like how it ended the last four times. I may be poor at verbal communication but I'm very strong on persistence." Simon grinned lopsidedly.

"Yeah, well, Kaylee and Inara may think it's cute, but I don't. River'll be useful on the bank-job and she's going. That's final." Mal had given it a lot of thought... well, some thought. River was much more lucid these days, especially when Jayne was around, and there was no denying that she was keen to prove that she could be useful.

"But what if she has an episode?" Simon was frowning slightly now. "I can't give her the drugs - she's been off them for a while now and they'll make her too sick to walk straight. I want her completely capable of running away, in case something goes wrong."

"Will you stop that? Nothing's going to go wrong."

"That's what you _always_ say." Simon folded his arms and looked accusing. Not without justification, Mal had to own. "Can't she just try to make a prediction from here?"

"No. Situation's fluid on the ground - if something big comes up sudden, I want to know about it." Mal straightened up, trying to use his greater height to intimidate the smaller man. As usual, it did absolutely fuck all good. It was one of the things he usually appreciated about Simon - he simply couldn't be intimidated on the basis of size, not even by Jayne, who was built like a side of beef with legs. He was appreciating it less just now. "She's a big girl, doc. Her age, on a lot of planets, she'd be married and working on her second or third young-un right now."

"And that's an indictment on those planets, not a justification for your putting her at risk." Simon stuck out his sharp chin. "River isn't fully capable of making this kind of - "

"Blow it out your ass, Simon."

Mal smirked as Simon swung around, looking all shocked, to be confronted by his sweet, innocent baby sister wearing one of Zoe's vests - cut down to size - over a short-sleeved top and baggy trousers tucked into her boots. "River!"

"Independence is of primary importance," River said, glaring at him. "You play at parenthood and refuse to relinquish your imagined grip."

Mal started to laugh as she stalked past them. Simon turned to glare at him, and Mal made a show of wiping his eyes. "Seems like just yesterday I was getting' the 'You're not my daddy and you can't tell me what to do' speech from li'l Kaylee. Ah, good times. She's still going."

"Fine." Simon turned and followed River. "River, you know the plan, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Stay close to Jayne. Alert others to incoming danger. Run away."

"The running away is a very important part. Remember, we can always rescue the others later." Simon patted her shoulder. "Captain, you did tell Jayne -"

"Anything happens, I grab the kid and high-tail it out of there." Jayne sauntered past, loaded down with assorted weaponry. "Got it."

"Don't accidentally mix her up with a bag of money, Jayne," Zoe said, giving Jayne a pointed look. She was still suspicious of him getting attached to the girl. Mal was inclined to take Inara's word for the fact that they were just functioning on about the same level most of the time. Their dinnertime squabbling sure seemed to argue in favour of that theory.

"Bags of money don't kick. I'd notice." Jayne grinned. "I got two arms."

"You'll need one for shooting with."

"Maybe." Jayne tugged a gun out of his pocket and tossed it to River. "Here. Anyone tries to shoot me while I carry you and the money to safety, puncture a body part."

"Which one?"

"I dunno. Whatever looks good at the time. It's not good to over plan this kinda thing, you gotta just sort of sieze the moment."

"Captain - "

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Jayne, giving our crazy little angel guns wasn't in the plan." Mal scowled. Couldn't this go smooth even until they _got_ there?

Jayne blinked at him like he'd said something real stupid. "I ain't taking her in there unarmed, Mal, it ain't safe."

"And you think she'll be safer _with_ a gun? That could go off at any time? I'm going to have puncturable limbs in the area of that gun!" Mal liked little River, she was a sweet child, if strange... but he wasn't at all sure he trusted her with a loaded gun.

"She won't hit you - she's a good shot. And the SuXiao's just the right size for her." Jayne clearly didn't see what he was making such a fuss about. "It ain't safe, her just walking in where there might be guards or savage dogs or something with no weapon."

"He has a point, Captain." Simon, of all people, was turning on Mal. "I mean, not that I'm enthusiastic about my baby sister actually shooting at anyone, but..."

"Don't see a problem," Zoe said, basely abandoning her captain. "Long as she stays lucid."

"Right. If she loses it, Jayne, _you_ get to take the gun away from her."

"I was _gonna_," Jayne said plaintively. "I don't wanna get shot _either_."

"I wouldn't shoot you," River assured him, gazing at him with big earnest eyes. "Or Zoe."

"What about me?" Mal asked, after a long pause.

River sniffed, flicking back her long braid. "Only if you make it entirely necessary."

He was worried just for a second, then he saw the little twitch at the corner of her mouth. "Like maybe if I try to take your shiny toy away from you?"

"That could do it." She grinned wickedly at him. "I'll be good, Cap'n."

Mal couldn't help grinning back. Being stable enough to joke was a good sign, it had to be. "Yeah, well, see as you are or I'll make you wait in the ship next time and rob the bank without you."

"River, I wouldn't mind if you shot him."

"Blow it out your ass, doctor."

* * *

Jayne was powerful uncomfortable about this, and he wasn't sure quite why. It was a good plan. It wasn't one of Mal's plans, which upped its chances of working by a considerable margin. Badger wasn't exactly a genius, of course, but he didn't have Mal's verging-on-the-supernatural bad luck.

He looked down at the smooth brown head bobbing along by his elbow, and his unease ratcheted up another notch. River had been real enthusiastic about going on this job, which was only the latest in a list of weird things River had been doing lately. She'd stopped jumping off the walkways after he'd almost dropped her on her butt, but she'd taken to wandering up and just staring at him for hours at a time. Some days she'd chatter to him about anything and everything, and other days she'd hardly say a word to him. And now she'd insisted on robbing a bank, which he hadn't been sure she even knew they did.

Aside from all the weird behaviour, which he more or less expected from River even if this was _new_ weird behaviour, something about her was just bothering him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was definitely something different. Maybe it was the smell... he'd realized the other day that she wasn't using the flowery stuff to wash her hair anymore. The overwhelming smell of artificial flowers was gone, replaced with a faint, pleasant musky scent that had a way of staying in his nose even when she wasn't there.

Aw, that was probably it. He was just getting twitchy 'cause of maybe getting shot today. That never did good things for his mood. And today River might get shot too, which was a prospect he found most unpleasant. He was used to it. She was all little and fragile.

"We have to hurry." River had moved up past him to tug at Mal's sleeve.

"We got plenty of time, River. We're gonna wait until about halfway through the Preacher's service, so's everyone's had time to doze off, and -"

"No. Have to hurry." She shook her head, reaching back without looking to grab Jayne's hand ."It's... there are flowers made of silver and swimming in dirt..."

Jayne wasn't at all averse to her holding his hand, embarrassing as it was when she did it in public, and he wrapped his big mitt gently around her little scrawny one. "Can ya describe that last part again?"

They'd stopped, and she drew back to rest her head against Jayne's arm. After a minute, she tilted her head. "They're coming. We have to be out before they come."

"Alliance?" Mal's eyebrows went up.

River shook her head.

"Reavers?" Jayne asked, a little worried.

River shook her head again.

"Honey, is someone else going to rob the bank today?" Zoe said with that deceptively mild way she had.

"The twins get results."

"Fanty and Mingo," Mal said, almost spitting the words out. "Gorram it, Badger said they weren't in on this."

River suddenly got all focused and made her you-boob face at Mal. "Badger _lies_, stupid."

"I'm going to let the name-calling go on account of how helpful you're being today. Don't think I'm going to make a habit of it." Mal looked kinda sideways at Jayne's hand. "Any special reason why you're holding onto him?"

"Simplifying element," River explained, smiling up at Jayne. "Cohesive. Linear."

"I'm going to take that as meaning it makes it easier for you to talk straight." Mal shrugged. "All right. Guess the plan's changed. Let's get going."

By the time they reached town Jayne was real unhappy about Mal's plan to walk instead of taking the mule. River was starting to lag, and Jayne had what felt like the start of a blister. Sure, Mal's plan to steal a vehicle so it looked like the job had been done by someone on-planet sounded good, but what was the point of bringing a Reader if she was too tired to read anything by the time they got there?

"We have to hurry." River was pulling on the hand she was still holding. Jayne would never have admitted it to anyone, but her soft little hand felt kind of nice tucked into his. She hadn't done this in a while, and he found that he'd missed it. "Increments reducing as we dawdle."

"Okay." Mal led the way up the little back alley towards the bank. "River, you warn us when they get close, you hear me?"

River gave him a you-idiot look. "I'm crazy, Captain, not stupid."

Mal snickered at that. "Yeah, good point."

The codes Badger had provided worked like a charm. Minutes later, just as the last stragglers were making their way into the church, they started moving money out of the vault.

Money-laundering, Badger had said. Large amounts of untraceable cash money waiting to be exchanged for the very traceable kind. There weren't no point in stealing that, on account of it had been dumped for probably very good reasons. But the clean stuff...

River was useful right away, marching straight to the right boxes despite the fact that the vault had a whole bunch of other stuff in it as well. "This doesn't belong. Mustn't touch the others, they have memories inside, but this is for the taking."

Jayne saw her sniff the air, and did so himself. She was right - the boxes had an acrid-clean smell that didn't fit with the rest. They'd been moved in recent and despite the attempt to dirty them up some, they didn't look quite right either. Even so, it might have taken him a minute or two to find them.

"Thank you, hon." Zoe popped the boxes - again, Badger's codes were good - and started lifting out bags. "Can you lift one of these?"

"Can try." River picked one up, staggering a bit but holding it. "Where do we take them?"

"The bank has a vehicle out front. Take 'em out, load 'em up. Jayne, you remember how to hotwire a skimmer?"

Jayne snorted, loading himself up with bags. "Like falling off a log. C'mon, _xiao gui_, I'll show you how."

"I know the theory," River said, trotting along behind him with her one bag. "But I have never stolen a vehicle before."

"Never? Man, growin' up in the Core must be _boring_." Jayne tossed the bags into the dingy, seen-better-days skimmer and climbed in. "C'mere. You see this connector down here?"

River climbed up to look. "I see it."

They'd just started the skimmer up when Mal and Zoe came out with their own loads. "Almost got it all," Mal said, over his shoulder. "Jayne, mind the money and the crazy girl. River, how long we got?"

River's eyes went distant. "If you want the rest, you'd better run."

Mal and Zoe both took off running. Jayne unhooked Vera from his back and made sure she was ready to go. "You're pretty clear today. Doc givin' you medicines again?"

River shook her head. "Clarity of purpose helps," she explained. "Do the job. Focus on the job. It lessens distractions for a time." She sighed, looking sad. "It won't last."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense." Jayne tilted his head as a faint whine reached his ears. "Sounds like a mule."

"They're almost here." River seemed to flow out of the skimmer's seat and into the cargo area, crouching down behind the haphazardly piled money-bags so she'd be invisible to anyone approaching from that direction. "Try to look as if you don't need backup."

Jayne snorted. "I _don't_ need backup." The faint click of the SuXiao being cocked was reassuring anyway. There was nothing like having at least one gun nobody knew about.

Ott and his gang arrived just as Mal and Zoe came out with the last of the money. Even with Vera out, Jayne found himself in something of a situation, as with three guns held on him he couldn't be sure of taking them all out before at least one got a shot off.

When Mal and Zoe showed up, that went down to two, but the odds still weren't great.

"Ott. It's been a while." Mal was doing his I'm-so-calm thing that usually said 'hello, this job's going straight to hell' to Jayne.

"That it has. I have to say, you're more efficient than we'd expected. Not quite efficient enough, though." Ott smiled a thin, meaningless smile. "Thanks for loading it all up for us, though."

"Don't you even think about taking off," the creepy chick with the big gun spat, as Jayne settled into the seat of the skimmer. "Or we'll turn your friends into red smears."

Jayne shrugged, not taking his eyes off her. She was definitely the one to watch. Ott was a talker and the big man was the sort to wait for an order, but the twitchy blonde looked like trouble. Her and the short guy with the knives. Not having him a gun made him less of an immediate threat, but he had a fixed stare and manic smile that were setting off very loud warning bells in Jayne's mind. "Friends is a strong word."

"Employer, however, is not." Mal glared, but then his eyes flicked to the cargo area of the skimmer and the glare lost a lot of force. He _had_ ordered Jayne to take off with the kid if there was trouble, which Jayne figured he was just now remembering. Not that he intended to - twitchy blonde had too itchy a trigger-finger for running to be a good idea.

"There's no need for anyone to get... overly excited." Ott smiled again. "We've no desire to shoot you, Mal, just to take the money."

"And I am all in favour of the not-shooting, believe me." Mal smiled what Jayne knew Mal thought was a charming smile. "I don't suppose I could convince you to split the take, could I?"

"No. Not really." Ott shrugged. "But you'll still have your health, Mal, and that's not to be sneezed at in these uncertain times."

"Surely so. Surely so." Mal shrugged. "While we're... discussin' the future of the money, think you could restrain them itchy trigger fingers while Zoe and I put the last few bags in the skimmer? So's the money's all in one place, you know."

"You do that." Ott nodded, and in a matter of moments all three guns were pointing in Jayne's direction again. He didn't like that overmuch, but at least Mal and Zoe were no longer in a position to let him get shot without risking the same for themselves.

"Right. Now, we're both reasonable men - "

"And you're stalling, Mal. Now, is this going to get unpleasant?"

Mal looked at Zoe. "What do you think?"

Zoe looked at Mal. "I'll back you either way, sir." Big surprise, that. Zoe'd probably walk around the ship _naked_ if Mal told her to. Shame he wouldn't, really.

Anyway, Jayne figured as Mal was about to get stupid again and hand over the money, on account of not wanting himself and Zoe to get shot, so he leaned back, making a show of pointing Vera up at the sky. "C'n you take all four out?" he murmured as quietly as he could.

By way of answer, River's head raised just enough to peek around Mal's arm. Then the SuXiao appeared and fired four times so fast that Jayne was still twitching from the surprise of the first one when the fourth was fired.

The big guy slumped down in the back of the mule - gut shot, might be fatal, might not. Twitchy blonde's gun dropped to the ground as she clutched at a high chest wound, which again might or might not kill her depending on whether Ott had a doctor available. Ott himself had a shoulder wound which took out his shooting arm but wouldn't stop him from driving the mule, and the little man with the knives... yeah, definitely dead, lying on the dusty ground with blood fountaining from his neck. Good. River had remembered what he'd said about the really creepy ones.

"Those shots are going to be bringing the good folk of Constance any second now," Mal said, smiling brightly. "Now, I'm sure as they'd be charitably inclined and take you three to a doctor so you're nice and healthy for your hanging, but..."

Ott swore and swung the mule around, tearing out of there without stopping for the body of his henchman.

"Jayne, take the girl and the money and get back to the ship." Mal reached back to yank the SuXiao out of River's hands. "Zoe and I'll just mosey along and give the local law a description of them no-good bank-robbers. We'll pick up the preacher and meet you back on Serenity."

Jayne grinned. "Ain't it nice when the folk gettin' chased ain't us?"

"It surely is. River, I thank you for the warning. Now get, they'll be here any minute."

Jayne got, not pausing to let River climb out of the cargo box until they were out of sight of the town. "Nice shooting."

"Simon will fuss." River sighed, contorting herself into a knot of arms and legs in the other seat. "He doesn't like me shooting people."

Jayne shrugged. "He'll hafta get used to it. Cap'n won't let him keep paying your way as well as his after this."

"No." River wriggled a bit and smiled. "I was useful."

"Yup." She looked so proud of herself that Jayne couldn't help grinning a little. It was cute. He remembered the first time he'd pulled off a successful job - of course, he hadn't been quite as useful as River, but he'd still been mighty proud. "Anything special you gonna buy with your share?"

River contemplated this. "Clothes. I require a more intimidating costume if I am to hold my own in a combat situation."

Jayne glanced at her and grinned. "Yeah. Flowery trousers don't exactly strike fear in the hearts o' men."

"Precisely." River gave her legs a dissatisfied look. "Skirts would not work either."

"Not really." At least, not the skirts River wore, all flowery and floaty. "Anything else?"

"Strawberries for Kaylee." River smiled, hugging her knees. "They make her happy."

"Everything makes Kaylee happy." Jayne privately resolved to get her something too. It was the least he could do, after she'd stood up for him to the captain and all.

They were back at Serenity already, and Kaylee herself ran down the gangway to meet them. "What happened? Where's the captain?"

"He'n Zoe stayed to collect the preacher and give the local law a description of them nasty bank-robbers." Jayne grinned. "Which is gonna be convincing on account of the body."

"Body?" Kaylee looked worried.

"Yeah. Ott and his creepy-ass gang showed up right after we did. Saw 'em off, killed one, then Cap'n said to high-tail it back here with the money while he sent everyone off after Ott."

"You mean they're not going to be chasing us? I love it when they don't chase us." Kaylee beamed. "River, are you okay?"

"Fine." River climbed out of the skimmer. "I am fledging satisfactorily."

Kaylee blinked at her. "Uh... what?"

"Leaving the nest. Testing my wings." River shrugged. "My first flight was successful."

"And I knew it would be." Kaylee smiled encouragingly. "You just run and show Simon as you're fine. C'mon, Jayne, let's get the money stowed 'case someone shows up with cap'n and Zoe who shouldn't see it."

It was a good thing they had. Ten minutes after the cash had been stowed and the skimmer taken away by Wash, Mal and Zoe showed up not only with the preacher, but with a fairly typical example of local law enforcement. This one was the sweaty, twitchy-eyed variety, corrupt but not wanting it to show. Jayne preferred those to the smooth-talking villain kind, on account of the smooth ones tended to be smarter than he was. The twitchy ones generally weren't too bright.

Mal looked around the hold with that little one-sided smile he got when something went right for once. "Home sweet home. You girls been good while we was gone?"

Kaylee and River were playing jacks in the middle of the floor, River back in her fluttery skirts and Kaylee with her hair in braids. They looked up with angelically innocent expressions. "Hey, Cap'n!" Kaylee said perkily. "Hi, Shepherd! How'd the sermonizin' go?"

"There was an interruption, unfortunately." Book wasn't looking terribly happy. Conscience, probably.

"Someone robbed the bank. Can you imagine that?" Mal put on a concerned expression. "Though it seems as nothing of much importance was taken, which I'm sure is a mighty relief to all concerned. Got to say, I was just as glad you two decided to stay home today. You know I don't like having you about when there's shooting."

"Aww, there was shootin'?" Jayne put down the free weight he'd been working with and ambled over casual-like. "An' I missed it?"

"This here's Jayne Cobb. Guards the cargo, when we're lucky enough to have one." Mal grinned at the lawman, who was looking up at Jayne nervously. "And the girls, o' course. You know some planets less law-abidin' than this, it just ain't safe to leave two pretty things like them alone... not that they are. Doc's around here someplace. River, where is he?"

"He and Inara are having tea." River grinned impishly. "She wanted a second opinion on her new colour-scheme for the hangings in the shuttle."

Mal blinked and then smirked. "Well, his likin' for colour-schemes aside, the doc's a fair hand at autopsies and such. We'd be happy to run him over and have him cut up that corpse for you, if you've a mind."

"Ah... no, no, that won't be necessary. The cause of death is quite... quite clear." The lawman was sweating harder, and Jayne grinned, deliberately standing just a shade too close. "Are all your crew... er... here?"

Mal gave Jayne an inquiring look. Jayne shrugged. "Wash went for a walk. You know how he whines if he don't get let outta the pilot seat now'n then." Mal did know. He knew, specifically, that Wash almost never left the ship without Zoe unless he had powerful good reason. Jayne figured that'd be a good hint as to what Wash was doing.

"That he does. Well, he should be back soon enough." Mal smiled again. "Took a radio with him, I trust?"

"Yup. We're ready to go soon's he's back. Unless you found us a cargo?" Kaylee gave the lawman a hopeful look that made him preen like an idiot.

"No such good fortune." Mal grinned. "Still, there's that job on Persephone to be done."

"You're going to Persephone?" The lawman looked thoughtful. "Might have somethin' for you... we ain't got a regular mail-run, out here. If you wouldn't mind takin' a load of letters and such, dropping them off at the depot... it wouldn't pay much, but it might cover you for fuel at least."

Mal blinked, as if he didn't quite believe his good luck. It was so rare that he _had_ any good luck that Jayne couldn't blame him. "And we are always interested in a paying proposition. Why don't we discuss that?"

* * *

Zoe leaned against the doorway of the bridge, smiling at the back of her man's head as he guided them up out of atmo. "Did you enjoy taking part this time?"

"Yes, taking the skimmer away and walking back was loads of fun. How was your day, dear?" He turned to smile at her, the smile that just warmed her all the way to the core. "Did you shoot many people?"

"Not a one." Zoe shook her head, going over to rest her hands on his shoulders. "Weren't but four shots fired all told, all River's."

"River's?" Wash tipped his head back to give her a startled look. "Even the dead guy?"

"Even the dead guy." Zoe shook her head, still a little perturbed by it. "You know, I didn't more'n half believe Kaylee about that... you know she's upset by the violence, and I figured as she was giving River more credit than was due. But River took out four reasonably dangerous folk in less time than it'd take me to do two. Precision shooting, too."

"Little River?" Wash sounded doubtful.

"Yeah, little River. And Jayne wasn't a whit surprised." Zoe shook her head. "He's been taking her out to practice on targets, you know. Started doing it when she had to be kept out of Mal's way."

"Let me get this straight... Jayne, having had his chest opened up by our little crazy person, has decided that she isn't dangerous enough?"

"Seems so." Zoe shook her head. "Ain't sure if it's a sign that Jayne's stupider than I thought or if he's got some reason to think as she won't be dangerous to us... or to him, anyway."

"I don't think she would. Her one little incident with Jayne aside... and who hasn't wanted to do that to Jayne now and then... she's been perfectly fine with us." Wash gave her an earnest look. "And I really don't take any issue with her shooting people who happen to be pointing guns at _you_. You know how I feel about people who do that."

"Yeah, I do." Zoe shook her head. "Just worries me, is all. Nobody knows why River does the things she does. What if she took it in her head that we were a danger to Simon or something?"

"Jayne seems to have a pretty good handle on why River does things. And if he's not worried... well, Jayne may not be one of the world's great thinkers, but he's red-hot on personal danger. If he thinks it's safe to start arming her, I'm inclined to trust his judgement. Especially since prior evidence indicates that he's the one she'd go for first."

"You really think so?" Wash might not be the best judge when it came to jobs or fighting, but Zoe knew he was often better with people than she was. Too trusting, but better.

"I absolutely and totally trust Jayne not to put Jayne in danger, yes. He's very reliable in that respect." Wash reached up to pat her hand gently. "And River... well, being ruthless in defense of herself and her people is really only to be expected, right? Considering."

"Maybe so." Zoe shook her head. "I've seen soldiers younger than she is. Hell, I was about her age when I joined up. It ain't the ruthlessness or the killing that bothers me, I just wish I knew what was going on in that little head. It's her bein' so unpredictable that's causin' me concern."

"Me too, a little. But I choose to be optimistic." Wash smiled, flipping a couple of switches and turning to pull her down into his lap. "She wants to be able to protect herself should anyone try to hurt her again. I understand that. I don't think she's a danger to us, Zoe - she knows we care about her and that we'll protect her. It's just the rest of the universe that needs to be afraid."

"I hope so." Zoe shook her head, smiling as he hugged her. "All other concerns aside, I'm convinced that Jayne is a bad influence on that child."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

"You're pushin'." Jayne lifted the bar out of Book's hands, setting it back on its hooks. The old man was tough, but he was starting to strain now. "Take a break."

"I'm fine." Book sat up and wiped his face. "Just let me catch my breath."

"You plannin' on lettin' me do a set any time soon?"

"Soon." Book leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked troubled.

Jayne wasn't generally inclined to taking an interest in the emotional state of others, but he liked the Shepherd. He was a good man, but he wasn't good the way Kaylee was. With Kaylee, sweetness just bubbled up out of her. Shepherd had enough darkness in him that Jayne felt comfortable with it, but he'd decided to set it aside and be virtuous. "Conscience itchin' ya?"

"You're more perceptive than you seem." Book wiped his face again. "A little, yes."

"We woulda hit that bank whether you said yes or no. You makin' a distraction just cut down on the opportunities for us or them to get shot." Jayne liked a good tussle, but he liked not getting shot a powerful sight more.

"God sees through our attempts to justify our own shortcomings, Jayne. He knows that I have aided in the commission of a crime, no matter what my intentions may have been."

"Yeah?" Jayne considered that and shrugged. "Well, hell. If that's the worst thing you ever do, you ain't doin' bad."

"No, I wouldn't be, would I?" Book nodded as if in agreement.

He probably figured Jayne wasn't bright enough to catch the way he'd said it, agreeing that _if_ that was the worst thing he'd ever done he'd be okay. Jayne did catch it, but didn't say anything. It was just one more clue. "Nope. Get up and give me a turn."

"All right." Jayne adjusted the weight and they switched places. "Although I'd think you'd seen enough activity for one day."

"Ah, it was mostly just walkin'. No fighting to speak of, even." Jayne got his hands set and lifted. "Went smooth as a..." he paused, trying to think of a phrase that wouldn't offend the Shepherd. "Smooth as a baby's backside. Kinda weird, actually. Things don't usually go that smooth when Mal's along."

"A man died, Jayne." Book frowned down at him.

"Well, yeah. But he wasn't anyone we know."

"Even so." Book didn't seem inclined to let it go, which was another clue. A military man, even after years as a Shepherd, was like to see one down for the other side as a good thing. A Fed, on the other hand, was like to get fussed about murdering folk.

After something of a pause, Book spoke again. "I wish the captain hadn't taken River."

"We woulda lost the whole take an' maybe got shot ourselves if he hadn't." Jayne grunted, maintaining a steady rhythm with the weight. "She was real useful."

"She's too young to be useful in that manner, Jayne. Going out armed, shooting people..." Book sounded real bothered. "It sits ill with me that he would use that troubled child to rid him of his enemies."

Jayne didn't feel it necessary to mention that he'd been the one told River to start shooting. Sort of. "She's gotta start sometime."

"No, Jayne, she doesn't." This time it was Book who took the weight - straining more than a little - and set it back on its hooks. "She's a young girl. She shouldn't have to - "

"She's a wanted fugitive with a large number of very unpleasant folk after her." Jayne sat up, frowning. "Sooner she learns to protect herself the better."

"Self-defense is one thing, Jayne, but today wasn't a matter of self-defense, it was - "

"Had to do it."

They both looked up, to see River sitting on the stairs just to the right of the bench. Her hair was hanging around her face, and Jayne thought she looked upset.

"River, there is always another way."

"Not this time. Had to do it. Had to kill him." River dropped her head so her hair fell further forward. "He was bad."

"River, no matter how... pragmatic Jayne may be about this sort of thing, you cannot go around killing people just because they happen to oppose you." Book gave Jayne a completely uncalled-for dirty look.

"There's some as shouldn't be let walk the worlds," River said, her voice mimicking Jayne's as she repeated what he'd told her. "Some as got to be put away before they can do worse harm than they have."

"What have you been telling that child?" Book glared at Jayne.

"Nothin' I don't think she should know. That one was wrong, Shepherd. Could see it in his eyes." The little man with the knives had been creepy as hell. Jayne just knew he was a wrong one.

"Could see it in his mind," River whispered, her voice getting high the way it did when she was real upset. "He liked the knives, he liked to cut... not the dead, he didn't like the dead, he liked them to scream when he cut them... I had to make him stop, they screamed so much..."

Jayne swore. River was all set to work herself into another hysterical fit, and those could take days to clear up once she got started. He left Book standing and moved fast, going around the rail to get face to face with her as she sat on the stairs. "River? River, look at me." He took her shoulders - so small they were almost sharp - and shook her very lightly. "You look at me, now, not at him. He's gone away now."

She whimpered, but she lifted her big eyes to his and after a second the trembling under his hands stopped. "I had to," she whispered pleadingly.

"I know that. Shepherd's just too... too trustin'. He thinks too much of folk, is all. Comes of payin' too much mind to the Bible and all that." The important thing when River got to wandering in her mind was to remind her where and when she was, give her something solid to fix her mind on. Jayne had found that getting her attention on him usually worked. "Sometimes a man just ain't right inside. Gets to wantin' to hurt people just 'cause he likes it. Ain't no reasonin' with that kind, not once they get the taste for it. You just gotta put 'em down quick."

"He wanted to cut you," River whispered, her eyes still big and round. "He liked the big ones. Liked to make them beg."

"Well, I wouldn'ta. But you didn't let him cut on me, so that's all right." She was sitting quietly now, and he decided it was safe to let go of her. "Don't matter what anyone else tells you, you an' me know you did what had to be done. _Dong ma_?"

"_Wu dong_," River whispered, blinking for the first time since he'd taken hold of her. "I had to."

"Yeah, you had to. You did good." Jayne nodded, and she sighed in a shaky sort of way. "But you've had a big day. You should go to sleep."

"Don't want to sleep. Nightmares." She clutched at his arm with small cold hands. "They come at me when I sleep, put needles in my brain... they want me to see things..."

"_Sheng ben dan_!" Jayne glared at Book, who looked startled. "This is your fault. She was fine until you upset her."

"I didn't intend - "

"Yeah, well, you did." Jayne rested his hand across River's narrow back, which seemed to calm her down some. "Just... I'll handle this. Go away before you make her any worse."

Book's mouth went tight, but he nodded and went away.

"He sees the stain of blood on me," River said, sounding whimpery again. "It's sinful. I'm marked."

"There's worse sins than killin'. Lots of 'em. Don't you let the Shepherd bother you about it." Jayne's knees were starting to ache from crouching, so he moved her over and sat down on the step beside her. "Anyway, you need to sleep. Thought the knife was supposed to keep the nightmares away."

"Sometimes it does. I don't wake Simon up so much any more." River leaned against him, resting her head against his arm. "But I can't fight the needles because I'm tied into the chair."

"They put actual needles into your brain?" Jayne blinked. He'd thought she was using a... whatever that fancy word was for describing things. She did that a lot.

"In my brain, in my eyes..." She rubbed her eyes hard. "They wanted me to see more clearly..."

"Yeah, well..." Jayne frowned. "Maybe the doc can give you somethin' to help you sleep."

"Only makes it worse." River shook her head, her hair tickling his arm. "I can't wake up, I dream and dream and I can't wake..."

Jayne had had nightmares like that. He wouldn't wish them on anyone, especially not someone as vulnerable as River. "Want me to tell you a story?" It was a slim hope, but they always seemed to calm her right down.

She nodded. "Yes. Tell me about Vera."

"You've heard that one."

"I like it. Tell it to me again."

He told her that story, then another, and by the end of it she'd dozed off with her head against his arm. Making sure nobody was looking, he carried her back to her room. Her knife was under her pillow, and he put it into her hand before he left.

Turning away from her door, he nearly stepped on the doctor. Jayne just about had a heart-attack on the spot. The doc didn't look at all happy. "What are you doing?" he asked, much too loud.

"Shhh!" Jayne took hold of the smaller man's arm and hustled him out into the small lounge area. "You want to wake her up?"

"Wake her... is River in there?" Simon frowned. "What were you - "

"She fell asleep out in the hold. You want I shoulda left her to sleep on the stairs?" No rutting way was Jayne ever going to admit that he'd told her stories. Not ever. Not even if they were stories about the courage of Jayne against many enemies.

"I... no, I suppose not." Doc had gone from angry to puzzled now, which was an improvement. "I... thank you, I guess."

"Yeah, well..." Jayne shifted uncomfortably. "She was talkin' about needles in her brain and stuff before she dozed off. You should keep an ear out in case she has a nightmare or something."

"I always do." Definitely puzzled. "I'm surprised she went to sleep at all, after that."

"She's had a busy day." Jayne escaped, before he could get any more embarrassed. He didn't mind so much Kaylee knowing he'd put the girl to bed, 'cause Kaylee thought it was sweet and fussed over him and all. He liked that. But it was gorram embarrassing having anyone else find out.

He found Book in the galley, making tea. "How is River?"

"She went to sleep eventually." Having her little sleepy head on his shoulder had gotten rid of most of Jayne's bad mood. He liked that she trusted him now. "Just... she needs to be able to fight. Don't confuse her."

"She's a child, Jayne, not a soldier." Book frowned.

"She's not a child." Jayne was a little surprised to hear that come out of his mouth, but it felt true. She'd grown up a lot since she first started trying to stand on her own feet. "She's old enough to enlist, if she weren't a fugie. Old enough to get married, if she weren't crazy. I'd been two years on my own at her age."

"That was... different." Book sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset her."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry I yelled." Jayne shrugged, pouring himself a drink from his private stash. "She's just... She sees into folk. Sees what they are. Way I figure it, sooner or later she was bound to come across one that's wrong inside. Like them at that Academy, who do harm just for the joy of it. She gets doubtful when that happens, she'll be in their hands and they'll do to her as they will." That thought made him powerfully angry, and he gripped his glass tighter. "River gets confused easy. I have to make it simple for her, make sure she knows never to let them near her."

Book nodded slowly. "I do see that," he said, frowning a little. "It just seems... wrong. She's so young."

"Yeah, and I'd like for her to live to get older." Jayne shrugged. "Just... don't confuse her."

"I won't." Book sighed. "Jayne, does anyone else know you've been... discussing this with her?"

"Ain't ever asked." Jayne poured himself another drink. "She said she wanted to learn to take care of herself, and Mal said to keep her busy. So I keep her busy."

"Teaching her what?"

"Tracking, when we're dirtside. Identifying stuff by smell and taste as well as sight. Weapons. Ambush tactics." Jayne snorted at Book's disapproving expression. "Hell, Book, what'd you think I was teachin' her all this time? What else do I even know?"

"And you've discussed... killing."

"Someone has to! I ain't always gonna be there to protect her when the soldiers come, and it'd be a big help if she did more'n whimper and twitch next time."

"Jayne, that's hardly - "

"Broke a man's neck on Ariel, preacher. Good Alliance soldier-boy. Snapped his neck with my bare hands to save that girl." Jayne scowled. "'course, turned out I did him a favour, given what happened to the others. But there were two of them, and I knocked both of 'em down and killed one while the doc choked the other 'til he passed out and I'll do it again if the situation arises but I _might not be there_."

Book nodded. "You've never discussed Ariel. Not with me and not, so far as I know, with anyone else. The captain seems to know more than the rest of us, and he's inclined to blame the whole mess on you."

"Yeah. So?" Jayne's scowl deepened. He didn't like talking about it, and he wasn't sure why he'd brought it up. It just... bothered him, the idea of River getting confused when they came after her again, of him not being there to protect her and her not being absolutely certain-sure how to survive without him.

"Just strikes me as interesting that the one thing you feel strongly enough about to discuss, in the whole affair, is the necessity for River to be protected."

"No. What I feel strongly about is the necessity for River to protect herself." Jayne drained his glass and set it down with a clank. "I won't always be there."

He'd reached the door when Book spoke again. "The interesting thing is that until quite recently, the idea that you would protect her if you _were_ there wouldn't have been a given with you or anyone else."

Jayne growled wordlessly and headed to his bunk. Maybe Book was right. Maybe he was going soft on the girl. Hell, no maybe about it... he'd been going soft since the minute he braided her hair and let her wear his hat.

It just felt good, knowing she trusted him. That he could make her feel safe. That he could _help_ her.

* * *

Mal was not a happy man. "What do you mean we can't take her with us?"

"I mean you can't take her with you. This isn't like the bank-job, Captain. I'm not being... overprotective. She's just not up to this today." Simon gestured. "Just... look."

Mal looked. River was curled up in the corner of her room, her face hidden behind her hair. Jayne was in there with her, crouched on his heels and talking quietly, but the usual smoothing out of River's behavioural kinks didn't seem to be happening. "Jayne?"

"She can't do it." Jayne pulled one of his guns... Mal never could keep track of which was which... and pulled out the clip. After checking that the chamber was empty, he handed it to River. It promptly vanished into the small gap between her knees and her head, and Jayne ducked out of the room, closing the door behind him. "That should keep her busy for a while."

"You can't calm her down enough to talk to Badger?" Zoe didn't sound pleased either.

"Hell, Zoe, I could barely calm her down enough to talk to me." Jayne shook his head. "She had the one about the needles again, huh?"

"For the third time since the bank robbery, yes." Simon, at least, seemed to know what he was talking about. "She'll be fine, it's just... she's never very coherent the day after a serious nightmare, and she's barely slept."

"The gun'll keep her busy for a while. She likes playin' with 'em." Jayne shrugged. "When she's ready to come out you could maybe take her up to the top hatch and let her sit out in the sun for a bit. Won't nobody see her up there."

"That's a good idea. Captain, can I - "

"Sure, doc. Get some colour in those pasty cheeks." Mal frowned. "I don't like this. Badger came perilously close to seriously humping this last job for us. I've a pressing desire to know if the next one's going to be the same... or worse."

"Same here, Mal, but River's gonna be out of touch for at least the rest of today. Maybe if Badger was willin' to put this off..."

"Badger has a pressing desire to see the colour of his cut." Mal sighed. "Fine. Jayne, Zoe, let's go. Doc... try to calm her down. If I can, I'll put off any negotiations on future business opportunities off until tomorrow."

Badger, however, was not overly amenable to putting off this discussion. Apparently he had a job just burning a hole in his pocket. "The Battle of Sturges, gentlemen. Heard of it, 'ave you?"

Mal scowled. Oh, goody. Rehashing the war was just the thing to brighten his day. "Everyone's heard of the battle of Sturges." Except possibly Jayne, but Jayne could just keep his mouth shut and look alert until they got back to the ship and someone could explain it to him.

"Bloodiest battle in all the war, it was," Badger said with a certain unseemly relish.

"I'd hold it was a distant second." Mal reminded himself yet again that killing Badger would be counter-productive. "Do go on."

"Shortest, too. All those lives, snuffed in a blink." Badger snapped his fingers.

Mal's fist clenched. "A blink's an awful long time when you're on the ground."

Zoe clearly noted that her captain was about at the end of his patience. "We're not requirin' a lecture on the subject, or had you not noticed the colour the captain and I are partial to wearin'?"

Behind her, Jayne grunted in a very meaningful sort of way that indicated that his interest was wearing thin. Jayne had a vocabulary of grunts that Mal was sure would put the average pig to shame.

"Here's what you and the history books don't know," Badger said, looking just a touch nervous now. "What the Battle of Sturges was fought for - what all them boys and girls died for - was a boatload of cash. A boatload of cash that's still there."

"And?" Mal wasn't inclined to help him out here.

"And I have here the co-ordinates." Badger held up a blue infochip. Take you right to the battlefield - and the stash of real them browncoats got butchered over. It's just sitting there for you or someone near enough you to snatch it up. What do you say?"

Mal glanced right. Zoe was looking dubious. Jayne was looking bored. No help there. The bank job had been shiny, they could last a while on that... on the other hand, more money was better, and he was itching just a little to find out for himself what had happened. The war for him was like a sore tooth... no matter how much it hurt, you just couldn't stop poking it. Scowling, he snatched the chip. "I say I'll think about it. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have refueling and resupply to take care of."

"Of course, of course. You can see yourselves out."

"I don't like it, sir," Zoe said, when out they were and breathing air clean of Badger's oozing unpleasantness. "Why would he give a job like this to us?"

"Because he knows you're stupid."

Both Mal and Zoe stopped and turned to look at Jayne. "Would you care to run that by me again, employee who I can fire at any time?"

Jayne smirked. "And who'd smooth out your Reader for you if you fired me?" He shook his head. "Badger needs you to do this job 'cause he knows you'll come back. Most guns for hire, hitting a payload like that, they'd just take it all and run, and Badger ain't big-time enough to track 'em if they do. He knows you two'll bring back his cut, where most wouldn't, so naturally he offers it to you."

"I hate to say this, Zoe, but I think Jayne's right. Badger may think our honourable, non-stealin'-from-our-employers ways are stupid, but he needs them for a job like this."

"Figure that's so, sir." Zoe nodded, but she still looked worried. "You sure you want to do this, though?"

Mal nodded, feeling his jaw tighten. "Better us than someone who won't show respect to the dead."

* * *

A/N: It is not, so far as I can determine, ever really clarified what difference there is - or if there is one - between the 'feds' and the Alliance military. It seems likely that they are two branches of the same organization, since they seem closely linked but clearly don't perform the same functions. (In 'The Train Job' the military refuse to get involved in local legal matters). I am assuming, therefore, that the 'feds' are responsible for general policing of criminal activity, while the military handle the larger political issues of maintaining the peace, although that line can be crossed in either direction if they feel it necessary. This would generally seem to be a bad idea, since soldiers make even worse policemen than policemen do soldiers, as a rule, but it is consistent with the Alliance's repeatedly demonstrated desire for entirely centralized authority.

* * *

_lao ren jia - (respectful) old person, elderly woman _

_xiao gui - (affectionate) little demon _

_dong ma - you understand? _

_wu dong - I understand _

_sheng ben dan - holy idiot _

_yao guai - monster, devil (I have no idea how to do plurals, sorry) _

_ni zi - little girl _

_mei mei - little sister _

_hun dan - bastard_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

"River?"

The voice was a lifeline, cutting through the confusion of colours and smells that filled her brain. River managed to remember how to open her eyes, and the sight of Jayne's slightly dirty face anchored her further. "I know four ways to kill a man with soup-spoon. Six if it's sharp."

"Well, that'll be handy if we ever get attacked at dinner. What're you doing up there?"

River looked around. She was wedged into the angle of wall and ceiling over the lounge area outside the infirmary. "I was hiding from the lights," she explained, pointing at the infirmary windows. "The light gets everywhere. It sees me. But it can't find me here."

Jayne looked at the infirmary, then back at her. "Okay. You comin' down any time soon?"

"The lights will see me."

Simon would have tried to convince her to come down anyway. The captain would have ordered her to come down. Jayne went over and turned off the lights. "There. Lights all gone."

River smiled, feeling that odd yearning sensation near her heart again. Jayne understood. He didn't laugh or try to tell her that her fears weren't real. "Thank you."

"No problem." He stood under her again, and held up his hands. "Drop."

She dropped, and he caught her, swinging her easily onto her feet. Her heart was pounding, but not from fear any longer. "Is there a new job?"

"Yup. Cap'n says you can't come on this one, though." Jayne agreed with Mal on this, River could see it in his strata. "See, we're goin' after treasure on a ship that's likely full of dead folk. Died in the war. Figures you might be scarred or somethin' if you see all them bodies lyin' around."

"Loud," River whispered, shaking her head. She didn't like people who had died fighting. They were too noisy.

"Yeah, very loud. Mess up that crazy head of yours." Jayne smiled, resting his hand lightly on the top of her head just for a moment. "So you can't help this time. Maybe next time."

"Next time." She nodded. "I'm not here today."

"Yeah, noticed that." Jayne shook his head. "You gotta get better at remembering how to find here and now."

"There are so many nows. I forget which is which."

He looked around, embarrassment dripping through his lines. "Yeah, well, the _real_ now is the one where River has candy, all right?" He dug a small bag out of his pocket and offered it to her.

She accepted the bag, sniffing it. Even through the plastic she could smell sugar and lemons. "Another gift?"

"Yeah, and you didn't get this one from me either." He frowned, but his face softened when she smiled at him. "Just figured it'd keep you quiet after the nightmare, is all. You always get fussy when you ain't slept."

She saw through him, of course. He was embarrassed by being kind, but he'd been worried about her. Book had accused him of wanting to protect her, and Jayne had been shamed by the truth of it. "A secret." She added it to the secrets Jayne had already given her, the one Wash had entrusted to her and the one she shared with the other women on board. They were good secrets. They didn't hurt her the way the other secrets did, the ones that weren't hers.

"Yeah, a secret." Jayne smelled relieved. "And don't spoil your dinner."

* * *

Wash heard Kaylee's indrawn breath behind him and knew just why it came. The sight through the forward windows had struck him the same way.

"Cap'n?" Kaylee said quietly. "What're we looking at?"

Mal's voice was quiet. "The Battle of Sturges."

They weren't looking at the same battle, though. Wash knew Mal, knew that he was looking at the blasted ships that filled their sky and thinking of the dead men and women aboard them, lost in a blink or to slow asphyxiation and hypothermia.

Kaylee thought of them too, because she always did, but Wash knew that the grief in her eyes was for the bodies she could see. The blasted hulks and broken bodies of ships that had once flown sweet and true, abandoned like so much scrap. Unloved and unwanted. He knew Kaylee's heart broke for each and every one, hanging there in the black with wings broken and lights gone dim. He felt the same way. Those ships had been murdered as surely as their crews had... but unlike their crews, most of them could have lived again if anyone had cared enough to save them.

Maybe they wouldn't have wanted to be saved, though. Maybe they wanted to stay here with their crews, awaiting whatever would come when the universe met its end.

"Right. That's the one we want." Mal pointed, his voice tight and unhappy. "Jayne, Zoe, go suit up. Wash, ease us on over there slowly. Let me know when we're close enough."

"Will do, sir. It'll take a little while, there's a lot of scrap out there."

"Show some respect, Wash," Mal said quietly, as the others filed out. "You're among the dead."

"I know." Wash looked again at the broken ships drifting before them. "I see them."

* * *

Jayne had ducked down into his bunk to pick up a few extra weapons - sure, there wasn't supposed to be anyone alive to fight, but it never hurt to be careful - and midway through checking the LeMat's extra ammo it had occurred to him that the usual gun-oil-and-sweat smell of his bunk was threaded through with something sweeter and softer. Girl smell.

There was only one place to hide in his bunk, and she was there, pushed far back under his bunk, lying there as silent and pale as a little dead thing. "Told you not to ever come down here," he said, reaching down to drag her out. He flinched when he touched her bare arm. Her skin was cold and clammy, and she was limp and trembling when he pulled her out.

"You said I could if they came," River whimpered, her voice weak and thready. Her breathing was unsteady, too, and the pulse in her thin wrist was flickering quick as a bird's.

"Reavers?" This was the kinda place they could easily hide, waiting for someone to come. Not that Reavers usually hid anyplace, but if they did, it'd be here...

"No..." River shook her head, tears leaking out of her eyes and running down her face. "Hands of blue, two by two..."

"Fuck." He picked her up, then looked at the ladder. The ladder for which he needed hands. "MAL!" he bellowed through the open door.

"What? We don't have all day, Jayne!" Mal sounded semi-close... cockpit, probably.

"TRAP!"

"What do you mean, trap?" Good. Voice was getting closer.

"I mean _trap_." Jayne got himself in behind the ladder in time to look up and see Mal looking back down. "Here, take her."

"What the _hell_ is River doing in your bunk?" Mal asked, looking more than a little pissed but taking the little cold body Jayne passed up to him. He stepped back, and Jayne grabbed the LeMat before climbing up.

"She was hidin'." Jayne looked a little anxiously at River, who was shivering silently in Mal's arms, tears still pouring down her face. "They're here, Mal, or they're gonna be soon. Those blue handed _yao guai_ she's so scared of, killed all those Feds on Ariel."

"Trap. Ta ma de." Mal shook his head. "Go round everyone up real quiet, just in case they're close enough to hear an announcement on the speaker. Get them up to the cockpit and that nice sound-proof door."

Jayne had gone two paces when River screamed, a high, thin scream like a dying rabbit. "Jayne!"

He spun on his heel, conscious thought not even a factor as he snatched the girl from Mal's arms, holding her protectively. Her cold arms slid around his neck and she burrowed her face into his shoulder. "It's okay," he murmured, feeling her shaking like a leaf against his chest. "River, listen to me. Remember what I said I'd do when you told me about these freaks?"

She whimpered and nodded. "Shoot them in the face," she whispered.

"That's right. That's what I'm gonna do. So they won't get you, okay?"

"Okay." She held on tighter.

"That's... Jayne, we're gonna talk about this. Later." Mal shook his head. "Get her up to the cockpit and stay there. Try to calm her down enough to get her to talk more."

"No," River whispered.

"No?"

"They're on her belly. No more time. No time to run." She squirmed in Jayne's grip, trying to burrow her head into his shoulder. "Please don't let them take me, please..."

"They won't. I promise." Jayne would put a bullet in her first, knowing what they'd do. He felt her relax as he thought that, and nodded. They understood each other. Better a clean bullet than that. "They're on Serenity's belly?"

"Wuo du ma!" Mal was off and running, yelling for Kaylee and yanking his gun out of its holster.

"You should wait with Wash," Jayne said, wincing as River tried to push her head under his collarbone. "We'll take care of it."

"No!" Her scream was shrill, and her nails sank into his shoulders as she grabbed onto him. "Don't leave me!"

"What's going on?" How long had Wash been standing there?

"Got boarders. Tell Zoe to stay in your bunk in case they get past us." Jayne followed Mal, a hair slower in case he bumped River's head against a narrow doorway. "River, get a grip... ow... not on me! You got your knife?"

"Yes." She scrabbled at her leg, her skirt hitching up to show the short dagger strapped to her thigh. Her hands were shaking so much she couldn't get it out of the sheath.

He maneuvered a hand around to pull it out for her, closing his hand over hers when she managed to grip the handle. "You keep a good grip on this. If I can't stop them, the big vein's right here." He brushed the side of her neck with his thumb, feeling her pulse flickering much too fast under cool skin. "Cut as deep as you can and then pull the knife out. It's quick an' it don't hurt so much."

"Yes." Her trembling slowed. "I will."

"Not, you know, before you have to. No point if you're gonna survive." They were in the hold now, with Kaylee kneeling on a hatch that had never before opened to anywhere outside.

"I'm not gonna be able to keep rewiring this forever, Cap'n!"

"Just keep going as long as you can." Mal turned as Jayne set River down, letting her lean against his side as he pulled Vera off his back. "River, you know anything about them? What they're like to do? How many?"

"Two by two. Two by two, hands of blue." River's thin arm was looped around Jayne's waist, holding on tightly.

"So there's just two of 'em down there?"

River nodded.

"Right." Jayne peeled River off, pushing her behind a crate. "You stay there where they can't see you if they come through."

She nodded, the knife glittering in her hand as she trembled. "Don't let them take me."

"I won't." Jayne walked over to the hatch and got himself set. "Kaylee? Open it."

"But Jayne -"

"There's only two of 'em."

"And you criticize _my_ plans." Mal moved up beside Jayne, gun at the ready. "Try not to hit my boat."

"Wasn't planning on it." Jayne felt weirdly good, as Kaylee pressed a couple of buttons and skittered back. There was too many complications in his life lately, so it felt as if he was spending all his life in a haze of confusion. But he could handle this. Two men - or maybe not, maybe they were something less, like Reavers. No normal man with a functioning soul could do what'd been done to River. But there were two heads and he had his favourite gun in his hands and he was two sticky red messes of bone and tissue away from resolving this. He could do that.

The hatch opened. A head popped through and Jayne blew it off. One down.

He and Mal moved forward in perfect unison, aiming down into the hole even as the body slumped back onto its former partner, who was bug-eyed with surprise even as he reached into a pocket. Jayne took the time to blow that shoulder open as Mal shot the man twice in the chest. He crumpled, still breathing and Jayne knocked Mal's gun away as he aimed for the head. Still in that peaceful place where conscious thought took a back seat to action, he swung around to reach behind the crate. He dragged River out, pulling the knife from her hand and pulling the SuXiao. Without a pause he had her back at the rim of the hole, pushing the gun into her hand and aiming it for her at the blue-hands' head.

River's eyes went flat and she pulled the trigger three times in quick succession, splashing the inside of the bulkhead with blood and brain-globs.

"Jayne, what the hell..." Mal said weakly, as the echoes of the shots died.

"Best to kill your own monsters if you can." River was shaking harder than ever, now, but the hysterical terror was gone from her face. Her knees buckled and Jayne held her up, looping an arm around her ribs without giving much thought to it. "You okay?"

"Will be." She rubbed her cheek against his chest, drying her teary face on his t-shirt. "Thank you."

"That's my girl." He steadied her, letting her stand on her own when he was sure her knees would hold. "Now you know you can do it. Next time someone tries to take you, just do the same again."

She nodded, lifting her little chin. "I will."

"Well, now that we've had our disturbing little interlude..." Mal laid a hand on River's thin shoulder. "You go, _ni zi_. We'll take care of this."

She nodded, then bit her lip and turned to Kaylee, who was cowering half-hidden behind a crate. "I'm sorry," she whispered, lip quivering. "I scared you again."

"No, you didn't." Kaylee got shakily to her feet, her lip trembling. "It's... I woulda shot Early like that, if I could. And he didn't even do anything to me, he just said he would..."

"He what?" Mal's head whipped around. "Kaylee, what'd he say to you?"

"That he would rape her. Make her hurt. Make her cry." River had that sad, distant look she got when the pain she felt wasn't her own. "Sometimes when she's dreaming he comes back."

"That bastard son of a..." Jayne had only ever heard that kind of fury in Mal's voice once before, and he'd been sure then that Mal would leave him in that airlock to die. Mal went over, wrapping Kaylee up in his arms and hugging her tight. "Shhh..." he murmured, as she started to cry. "Shh, _mei mei_... he's gone. He can't hurt you any more."

"We should go," River whispered, and drew Jayne towards the stairs.

"River, what's going on?" They ran into the doc just as they reached the doorway leading down to the infirmary and passenger dorms. "I heard shooting, and... is that blood?"

"And brains." River looked down at her bare feet, currently leaving sticky red prints. She looked up, smiling brightly at her brother. "The blue hands are broken. I walked in their pieces."

"You... River, that's..." The doc looked deeply disturbed. "Jayne, what just happened?"

"She told you. Them blue hands _hun dan_ showed up, got their heads blown off, everything'll be shiny as soon as the mess gets cleared up." Jayne scowled. "And I ain't doin' it again. Every time someone gets shot in here I wind up cleaning it up."

* * *

"It was a trap." They'd gathered around the table so Mal could share the bad news. "I imagine you all remember the Fed who shot Kaylee trying to take River and the doc?"

"Dobson." Simon frowned, more than a little confused by the apparent non sequitur. "Didn't you shoot him in the head back on Whitefall?"

"Apparently I didn't shoot him enough. He was the one lured us here, maybe workin' with the blue hands, maybe not. They coulda just taken advantage of the scheme." Mal scowled. "There was, needless to say, no money. We are going to be having words with Badger as to whether he knew this was a trap and, if so, which of his body parts he'd like left identifiable."

"Teeth. I could leave his teeth in." Jayne looked even grimmer than usual. Simon wasn't sure how he felt about that... Jayne getting all protective over River was simultaneously reassuring and unnerving.

"Teeth are a fine choice. Leaving one of his hands possessed of identifiable prints is also an offer I'm willing to consider." Mal slouched, scowling. "River, for some reason you didn't sense this coming like you did with Ott and his gang. That some special trick the blue hands had? Some device or some such that keeps you from hearing them coming?"

"No." River shook her head. She looked pale and exhausted, but calmer than she had been in a long time. "They knew I would hear them, so they hid among the dead. The screaming was so loud that it drowned them out until they were close."

"Just like on that ship the Reavers hit, with the one live guy." Jayne nodded. "Get enough dead folk together, an' River won't hear a few live ones mixed in."

"Well, at least it ain't a situation we're like to run into often." Mal nodded, relaxing a bit. "So. We go back to Persephone, and I suggest any business any of you may have be settled while we're there, because we ain't like to go back for a while. Even if Badger didn't set us up, he's gettin' too unreliable."

"Where'll we go, sir?"

"Beaumonde. Fanty and Mingo aren't quite as low-profile as Badger, but they do find the jobs and right now we need them. That bank heist won't hold us forever, and work's been getting scarce."

There were nods around the table. Then Book raised a hand. "I've been giving this some thought, Captain," he said quietly. "I think it's about time I moved on."

"Preacher, you're gonna leave us?" Kaylee sounded miserable, and Simon reached out to take her hand under the table. She squeezed it, giving him a grateful smile.

"I think it's time I did, Kaylee. I'll hope to see all of you again, wherever it is I settle, but I find myself growing uncertain of my path." For some reason, Book glanced down the table at River... or maybe it was Jayne, sitting beside her. "I am a man of peace... and not a young one. I find myself forgetting both, when I see you all in need."

"Chargin' into a well-guarded fortress with the aim of shooting folk in the knees, for example." Zoe nodded. "We'll miss you, preacher, but I see your point."

"Can't argue." Mal nodded, as Inara murmured something quiet to Book and got a smile and a nod in response. "Any particular place you'd like to set down?"

"None that have called to me, as yet. I'm not planning to rush off at our next port." Book smiled reassuringly at Kaylee. "Just making my intentions known, for now. When we find someplace that needs a preacher, I'll take my leave for a time."

"Fair enough." Mal smiled just a little. "On the understanding that you'll wave us if you need a ride. It'd hurt our feelings if you were to take ship with someone else, should you change your mind about the settlin'."

Book smiled. "Agreed."

After the meeting broke up, Simon found himself following Kaylee into the engine room. "Kaylee? Are you all right?"

She sniffled. "I'm fine. I'm just gonna miss the Shepherd."

"So are we all, I think. But this is... well, he's right about not being a young man anymore. He's in great shape for his age, but his heart isn't as strong as it could be."

"You mean he might have an attack or somethin'?" Kaylee's eyes went wide. "Oh, no!"

"Not for years yet, I hope, but the constant strain of this life isn't good for him." Simon touched her arm tentatively. "I'll miss him too, but for his own sake, I think he's probably made the right decision."

"You're right. Of course you're right." She gave him a wobbly little smile. "I just hate sayin' goodbye is all."

"I know." She hadn't pulled away, and he left his hand on her arm. "Uh... River said, earlier, that you were upset. Because of Early."

"Oh, that? It's nothin', I just... I just got a little flustered on account of the shootin' and all." Kaylee's voice was too bright, and she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"River told me that he... said things to you." Simon looked down at his hand on her arm. "That he frightened you."

"It was nothin'." Kaylee's lip quivered. "I just... Oh, Simon, I'm sorry. I told him where River's room was. I was so scared, he said he was gonna..." She trailed off, eyes filling with tears.

"I know. He told me." Simon took a deep breath. "River wasn't there, when he got to the dorms, but I was. He told me to help him look for her. I refused." He swallowed hard. "He said that if I didn't, he would shoot me and then go up and... hurt you. I couldn't... I went with him. If you'd been hurt because of us..."

"Oh. Oh, Simon..." Kaylee took his hand, curling hers slowly around it. "I didn't know..."

"I know. I didn't want you to be upset." Simon smiled tentatively at her. "I was afraid you'd blame yourself, and you shouldn't. It wasn't your fault, none of it was your fault. I just... couldn't let him hurt you."

"That's..." Kaylee shook her head, smiling a little. "That's just the sweetest thing you've ever said to me, Simon Tam."

"I meant it." Simon squeezed her hand then forced himself to let go. "I... need to check on River. Seeing the blue hands finally die... very messily... it's affected her quite intensely." Kaylee's face fell, and he drew another breath in. "She's getting better, though. I'm... I actually have a little free time, now and then. Soon, I hope, I'll have time for... I can't really do justice to any other commitment now, but soon..."

For a moment he'd thought he'd screwed things up again, then Kaylee gave him a smile so sweet that his heart skipped a beat. "I understand. I do. You go make sure she's okay."

Simon went, but he didn't feel the hard deck under his feet. Kaylee had smiled. She'd said she understood. She wasn't angry with him for putting River first just until his sister was more stable, she knew that he wanted... well, he hoped she knew that he wanted. And River really was getting better...

* * *

Hours later, River slept. The destruction of the blue hands had lifted a weight off her, drawing away some of the confused fear that clouded her thoughts. She wandered away from the Academy, not wanting to dream that tonight.

Knowing she was dreaming, she found herself in the hold again. Dead leaves carpeted the floor, drifting to cover the headless bodies at her feet. She looked up at the chains looped across the starry sky, and felt broad hands grip her shoulders. She turned, looking up at Jayne, who picked her up and cradled her securely against his chest. "Are you okay?"

"I will be." In dreams she could speak clearly, could make him understand her, and she touched his cheek gently. "Will you always let me save myself?"

"If you can. If you can't, I'll take care of it." He smiled at her, and let her rest her forehead against his. "Ready to stand on your own two feet?"

"Not yet." She kissed his cheek, and his arms tightened around her. "I like it where I am."

"So do I." His lips brushed her cheek and she shivered, sliding her fingers around the back of his neck. "Stay as long as you want."

River turned her head, wanting to kiss him properly, and found her eyes opening to see her faintly lit ceiling. "No!" she whimpered, closing her eyes and trying to bring the dream back. She felt shaky and tingly, aching to be touched and to touch him in return.

Clearly there was no point in trying to fixate her attention on the captain. River surrendered to the inevitable, sliding her hand under the blankets as she closed her eyes to remember what little there had been of her dream.

* * *

Jayne stared at his ceiling, wondering what had woken him up. He'd been dreaming, but he couldn't really remember it now. There had been golden leaves, and stars, and an armful of warm girl snuggling up to him as her lips wandered his cheek. Didn't seem like much, and yet his imaginary girl had to have been quite something, because he was aching as if he hadn't gotten off in months.

Well, that was easily fixed... he closed his eyes, trying to remember his imaginary girl in more detail.

* * *

_lao ren jia - (respectful) old person, elderly woman _

_xiao gui - (affectionate) little demon _

_dong ma - you understand? _

_wu dong - I understand _

_sheng ben dan - holy idiot _

_yao guai - monster, devil (I have no idea how to do plurals, sorry) _

_ni zi - little girl _

_mei mei - little sister _

_hun dan - bastard_


End file.
